In the Wilderness: Preparing for Public Service (2)

Malcolm Guite is publishing on his blog the sequence of seven sonnets which have been commissioned to go with a sequence of paintings by the artist Adam Boulter on the theme of Wilderness. They will form part of the exhibition ‘In the Wilderness: Preparing for Public Service which will be installed for the whole of Lent in St. Margaret’s Westminster. 

The paintings and poems are a series of meditations on key turning points in Biblical and Church wilderness experience. Malcolm has described the way in which he and Adam worked on them as follows: 

'First he sent me the scriptural or patristic point of inspiration together with a sketch he had made, in situ, of the wilderness episode, for he is a chaplain in Amman in Jordan and has been able to journey through the desert himself and visit these sites. Then I composed the poem, drawing on both the scripture or church history and the sketch, and sent him the poem. Then he completed the painting having in mind both the initial sketch and the poem. It has been a remarkable and I think fruitful long distance collaboration, and I can hardly wait to see the paintings themselves when he and I meet for the opening night on the 17th of this month.'

In the meantime Adam has given permission for Malcolm to share the initial sketch book images he worked with, as well as the sonnets, so these are being posted in a series on his blog. If you want to see the finished paintings then do go to the exhibition which is open 9.00am - 4.00pm every day in Lent, at St. Margaret’s just next to Westminster Abbey and across from the Houses of Parliament.

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Malcolm Guite & Steve Bell - The Singing Bowl/Birth Of A Song.

In The Wilderness: Preparing for Public Service

In The Wilderness: Preparing for Public Service is an exhibition for Lent featuring paintings by Adam Boulter and poetry by Malcolm Guite which will be St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey, from 17th February to 2nd April 2015.

The Biblical wilderness with its rocky mountainous desert has been a place of sanctuary and transformation for prophets and holy men since the dawn of history. Here Abraham and Jacob encountered the divine, Jesus confronted the diabolical, St Paul and the early monks learnt to speak the truth to those who would listen, and contemporary Christians seek refuge from the wars that are ripping apart this region. Here many stories and cultures that have shaped civilisations are layered onto the land. These paintings by Adam Boulter and poems by Malcolm Guite uncover some of these stories and tie them into our lives and times.

Adam Boulter’s work has revolved around landscape and religious themes. It is concerned with a sense of belonging and of the sacred in places as diverse as the inner-city and deserts, and in ancient stories, myths and sacred texts. Adam has exhibited frequently in and around London, and currently lives in Jordan, where he is the Mission to Seafarers Chaplain to the port of Aqaba.

Malcolm Guite is a poet and singer-songwriter living in Cambridge. He is a priest, chaplain, teacher and author. He also plays in Cambridge rock band Mystery Train, and lectures widely in England and USA on poetry and theology.

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Mystery Train - The Ragged Light Of The Evening.

Reaching Beyond, More Than Gold and Run with the Fire

The Reaching Beyond exhibition is at Bow Road Methodist Church (2 Merchant Street, London E3 4LY) until 1st September 2012 and includes the work of about twenty artists, with works in various forms including paintings, icons, sculptures, mosaics, cartoons and fabrics. The works will be augmented week-by-week with the winning works of the young people’s art competitions and the poetry competitions. Admission free. Normal opening hours 12 noon to 6.00 pm Monday to Saturday.
Reaching Beyond is an artistic event in East London (visual arts, poetry, community involvement), which is culminating in the exhibition at Bow Road Methodist Church. The exhibition site is in the heart of the East End, and about a mile from the Olympic Park. The title, “Reaching Beyond”, is intentionally open to a wide range of interpretation.

Key elements of the project are:

• Poetry competitions for adults and young people (via the Internet)
• Young people’s art competitions for local boroughs
• A journey with The Visitor (a small piece of sculpture) around East London boroughs
• The exhibition of work by contemporary artists with roots in a variety of cultures
• Kerbside painting and carving, and other participative arts activity on the exhibition forecourt beside the A11
• Events at the exhibition, such as art workshops, talks, explorations by groups, etc.

Through More Than Gold there will be almost 700 free performances by Christian musicians, dancers and visual artists from over 30 nations during the 2012 Games. A key hub of activity is Westminster where there is –

• A global collective of art at both St Margaret's and Methodist Central Hall
• Daily live performances on the Abbey Green and afternoon performances in the Chapel at Methodist Central Hall

This is a partnership with Westminster Abbey, Methodist Central Hall and St Margaret's to create a Westminster Arts Festival inspired by the Games. Click here for your guide to visual artists who are contributing to this rich programme.

A huge canvas - 18 feet high by 72 feet long painted by artists from every corner of the globe - is among an amazing array of artwork inspired by the Olympic Games and now on display across Westminster in Central London.

Exhibitions at Westminster Abbey, St Margaret's and Methodist Central Hall celebrate the Cultural Olympiad with a range of artistic forms from sculpture, carvings and glasswork to art installations, photography and paintings in various medium.

The exhibitions are in partnership with More Than Gold, the agency established by all the main denominations to help churches make the most of the Games.

The ‘Westminster Arts Inspired by the Games’ Festival is open throughout the Games and incorporates work from a number of celebrated artists from around the world.

‘With such a wide array of nations represented at the Games, it is exciting to see artists from around the world collaborating on these art exhibitions. The displays, housed in iconic London churches, are important because they help connect themes from the Christian faith with the Olympic vision,’ says Andy Frost who leads More Than Gold’s Creative and Performing Arts team.

Westminster Abbey features the work of the British-born sculptor Eleanor Cardozo, combining her classical training in sculpture with personal sport experience: ‘With twenty years as a professional sculptor I have used my knowledge of the human anatomy and my experience as a gymnast to create a collection of bronze gymnasts to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games. Each sculpture perfectly conveys the Olympic philosophy of combining in a balanced whole, the body, will and mind,’ Eleanor Cardozo said.

Next door to the Abbey, St Margaret’s Church hosts a free exhibition which features a range of artistic disciplines from textiles to fine art.

Methodist Central Hall will host two exhibitions during the Games, one of which is a huge canvas 18 feet high by 72 feet long. This piece is comprised of 141 canvasses painted separately by individuals and groups of artists from every corner of the globe. The canvas, entitled Key of David holds the biblical promise that it ‘opens doors that no one can close and closes doors that no one can open’.

Bryan Pollard, a Creative Director from New Zealand, has orchestrated the artists to create a piece which ‘truly celebrates the unity amidst diversity spirit that is a trademark of the Olympic Games’ Each artist joining this international project sees their personal contribution as a living testimony of their creative gifts given by a Creator God.

Run with the Fire is an arts project for the 2012 Olympic year organised by CANA, commission4mission and Veritasse based on the image of fire which links the Church's Pentecost celebration with that of the Olympic runner. Run with the Fire provides a digital art exhibition for use in Olympic-themed events and can be purchased by clicking here.

The latest Run with the Fire iniative is a community art exhibition with creative workshops  organised by Army of Artists at St Aubyn Church, Chapel Street, Devonport, PL1 4DP until 5th September. This is an exciting arts project and exhibition engaging churches, schools and community groups and is a creative response to three symbols of the Olympic Games; its motto 'Higher, Faster, Stronger’, the 5 rings representing a continent connecting during the games, and the Olympic Flame standing for peace, unity and friendship, which is spread as the flame is passed from one torch bearer to another. Run with the Fire is a creative response to these symbols; celebrating the stories, faith and skills that we pass on from one generation to another, building relationships, embracing life and connecting different communities.

There has been further press coverage of Run with the Fire through interviews with Steve Scott.
An interview Steve gave to Church and Art Network, in which Run with the Fire is featured, is included in their latest e-bulletin as a case study.
Steve has also been interviewed about his wide ranging career in art, music and poetry, including his involvement with Run with the Fire, in the current edition of Down The Line magazine.
Steve has some fascinating things to say in this interview which can be downloaded by clicking here.

Both are in addition to the Transpositions interview with Steve which we featured in an earlier post. Click here to read this interview.

For the latest news of Run with the Fire go to http://runwiththefire.blogspot.co.uk/.

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Brandon Flowers - Crossfire.